Creation Groaning

A little graph in the latest issue of World Vision News happened to catch my eye this morning.  The graph shows the number of economically damaging natural disasters that have occurred over the past 30 years (see http://www.emdat.be/natural-disasters-trends for the some of the research that the graph was based on).  It turns out that the number of major natural disasters has risen dramatically in the past 10 years (116 reported in the 1980s, 231 in the 1990s and 385 in the 2000s). 

I’m sure that there are a number of factors contributing to this increase in reported floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other disasters.  Perhaps a rapidly expanding world population has pushed people into areas more prone to natural disaster.  Perhaps advances in communications and technology have made reporting and assessing disasters easier and more likely to happen.  Or . . .

 Maybe this is exactly what the Bible says will happen in the days preceding Christ’s return and rule on earth.  Didn’t Jesus say that prior to His return, there would be “great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11)?  Didn’t Paul remind us that “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22)?  Is it possible that the contractions are increasing in frequency because the birth is near?  Is it possible that the dominos are actually falling faster, that the intensity with which the world waits is building, and that the return of Jesus is immanent?   

I don’t care to speculate on the details of prophecy, filling in names and dates that the Bible does not clearly reveal.  I don’t know when Jesus will come back—plenty of people have attempted to guess and been proved wrong.  I do believe this, however—that history and creation seem to be barreling speedily toward their culmination and redemption.  There is a tangible sense of urgency that is mounting.  Jesus is coming--whether tomorrow or in a thousand years—He is coming.

 For me this thought is a reminder to stand up straight and keep my head lifted up, because my “redemption is near” (Luke 21:28).  For others I hope this is a reminder that “the Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (I Peter 3:9).  Time may be short (and growing shorter by the minute), but the Lord has extended His mercy thus far so that you will have the opportunity to turn to Him.  I pray that when the Day of the Lord comes, you would find yourself standing in the only safe place in the universe—in Jesus Christ.

Carrying the Flag

I generally save my sport-watching time for play-offs or championship games.  Why bother with run of the mill regular season games where the stakes are relatively low and players have less motivation?   I want to see athletes playing their hardest, taking the biggest risks, reaping the greatest rewards.  Perhaps, that's why I love the Summer Olympics so much.  Once every four years, the athletes that have sacrificed the most, disciplined themselves the hardest, and dedicated themselves the most fully to their sport get to compete--not against the best athletes in their region or even their  country--but the best athletes in the world.

The Olympics bring vivid life to many of the sports metaphors that the New Testament is replete with (grab your concordance and do a study on "running," "race," "wrestling," or "winning a crown" for example).  This year, as I watched the opening ceremonies, I became aware of another metaphor.  In the Parade of Nations, athletes (or "delegates" as they are referred to in the opening ceremony) stream into the stadium behind the flag of their nation, wearing their national colors, or traditional cultural clothing.  Some of the delegates are stoic and somber.  Some are dumbstruck with awe, as it sinks in, for the first time, how many people are watching them.  Some cannot contain their joy and sense of national pride and weep even while they laugh. 

I watched with pride as the U.S. team strolled down the track, a massive crowd of more than 500 athletes dressed in matching suits and berets.  But what really stuck with me was the number of countries where only a handful of delegates--occasionally only one delegate represented his or her nation.  I remember one lone man, from some tiny island nation that has escaped my memory beaming proudly as he bore the flag of his country before the world.  He was all alone.  No one knew his name.  He won't return with a medal (or probably even qualify to compete for a medal) but he knew that he alone was representing his nation to a watching world, and he took that responsibility seriously.

How often do I stop to think that Christ has chosen me as a delegate to the world.  I represent the kingdom of God to the entire world that is watching as I carry the flag of Christ.  Do I take that responsibility with the humility, seriousness, and joy that it demands?  I praise the Lord that I am not the only delegate of that far country, but what if I was?  What would people think of the kingdom I represent, and the King I love.  I think of countless passages that encourage and challenge us with the role of being a flag bearer of Christ's kingdom:

-"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors . . ." 2 Corinthians 5:20

-"Thanks be to God who leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."  2 Corinthians 2:14

-"[Be] children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life."  Philippians 2:14-15

-"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

May you bear the flag with joy and honor!

Hymns

". . . addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart . . ." Ephesians 5:19

I must confess that for the majority of my life, I associated hymns with a musty and dying (if not dead) breed of Christianity.  The outdated words ("Thee and Thou") seemed pretentious, and the melodies laboriously complex.  I was proud to be a part of a generation that was finally casting off the baggage and constraints of "traditional Christianity" in favor of a fresher and more culturally relevant expression of faith.

I've come to see over the past few years, however, that a particular genre or form of music is not the problem.  It is just as possible for a cold dead form of Christianity to pipe out pop or rock flavored worship music as it is for it to pipe out hymns-- and it is just as possible for me to mumble mindless and distracted through a Chris Tomlin chorus as it is for me to fake my way through a Martin Luther hymn. 

Paul's description of a life filled with the Holy Spirit (in the above verse) actually paints a picture of a heart filled with all kinds of songs of praise (psalms, hymns, spiritual songs), sung corporately (to "one another") and privately ("with your heart").  A heart under the influence of the Holy Spirit is a heart ready to grab onto any available melody and make it a passionate expression of love, awe, and honor to the Lord.

I've been trained to do this with contemporary Christian worship music, but I find myself increasingly drawn to worship in traditional hymns as well.  The "wordiness" of many hymns allows for the exposition of deep theological truths which I seldom take the time to sit down and meditate on.  As I am taught and reminded of these truths (things like the Incarnation, and substitutionary atonement) I am drawn to worship God in response.

This morning, I was listening to a hymn written by Phillip Paul Bliss in the 1800s (pictured above).  It is a simple prayer which gives voice to the longings within me, and builds a structure for me to hang the desires of my heart on.  It is titled, simply:  "My Prayer."

More holiness give me, more strivings within.
More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin.
More faith in my Savior, more sense of His care.
More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord.
More zeal for His glory, more hope in His Word.
More tears for His sorrows, more pain at His grief.
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

More purity give me, more strength to o’ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home.
More fit for the kingdom, more useful I’d be,
More blessèd and holy, more, Savior, like Thee.

If you'd like to get a good sampling of hymns which I have found to be helpful in personal worship, consider downloading "Eclectic Hymns" by Jacey Davison.  It's not a big budget recording from a well-known artist, but it remains true to the ancient lyrics and melodies of it's hymns while adding fresh instrumentation, and some of the most earnest and sincere vocals I've heard.  Best of all, its free.  You can get it at:  http://noisetrade.com/eclectichymns

May you find joy in worshipping your Maker and Redeemer this week (no matter what kind of music is playing)!

Dinosaurs and the Bible

If you verbalize your faith on a regular basis, you may have found that one of the perennial questions you get is "where do dinosaurs fit into the Bible?"  It's a great question, although it's hard to be dogmatic about any answer, because the Bible is largely silent on the subject of dinosaurs (some scholars cite Job 40-41 as evidence of a biblical reference to dinosaurs, but this is debated).  Even though answers fall largely into the realm of conjecture, I thought it might be helpful to have a working knowledge of several theories so that you can have an intelligent and loving discussion with a skeptic or curious searcher.  Here are four alternatives to an athiestic or evolutionary explanation of dinosaurs.

1. Mature Creationism Theory:  It would seem that God created Adam and Eve as mature adults from the outset.  He did not create a tiny baby which grew, but a fully grown adult.  Since He did this with people, advocates of mature creationism would argue, why would he not do it with other aspects of creation?  Why not create, instead of seeds or saplings, fully grown trees with rings already in their trunks?  Instead of creating infant stars whose light would take countless years to reach the earth, why not create stars with beams of light already in place?  Why not create an already mature earth as well, with fossils and oil and geologic strata?  In this theory, dinosaurs may never have lived at all, but exist only in fossil form to give the earth the appearance of age or maturity.
This theory has merit in that there is a definite precedent in Scripture for at least one mature creation-- that of man.  It has the disadvantage, however, in that it seems to make God almost . . . deceptive, for lack of a better word.  It paints a God who seems to be tricking people into thinking the earth is very old even though it is very young.  That seems problematic, and very unlike the God of Scripture.

2.The Day/Age Theory:  This theory states that the six days of Genesis chapter one are not literal 24  hour days, but extended periods of time, or geologic ages, with each "day" being hundreds of thousands or even millions of years.  In this theory, dinosaurs were created near the beginning of the sixth "geologic age of earth," roamed the earth for thousands or millions of years and died out before God made man near the end of the sixth geologic age.
This theory can find some support in the fact that the Hebrew word for day (yom) is occasionally used within Scripture to refer to an extended period of time, not a literal 24 hour day.  The disadvantages of this theory include the fact that it requires quite a bit of acrobatic stretching to rework the original language (it says "there was morning and evening", but it means the period began and ended . . .").  It also makes death, violence, and disease the rule of the world even before the Fall (although to be perfectly fair, while the Bible is clear that death entered the world for mankind  at the moment of the Fall, it never explicitly says that this was true for the animal kingdom as well).

3.  The Gap Theory:  This theory states that there is a large chronological gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.  In this theory, God created a primordial universe and an earth that was populated with dinosaurs, which He subsequently destroyed and out of the chaos of that first destruction he made the current earth.  This theory states that Genesis 1:1-2 ought to read, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth BECAME formless and empty . . ."  Many Bibles will have a footnote indicating the possibility of translating the Hebrew this way.  Some suggest that God destroyed this first earth by a flood (possibly as a judgment somehow connected to the rebellion and fall of Satan) and it is over the flooded earth that the Spirit of God hovers and begins to recreate.
This theory fascinates me and has some possible merit although it is hard to argue for it since a "prior earth" is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture.

4.  The Young Earth Theory:  I subscribe to this theory (although I am sure that it makes me an object of scorn and derision to some) because it seems to be the theory which best allows the Bible to say exactly what it seems to be saying-- that God made the earth in six literal days, that He created land dwelling dinosaurs on the sixth day with all the other land animals, and ultimately, on the same day, that man was created.  This would mean that man and dinosaurs lived side by side for some time (young earth scholars would suggest that dinosaurs became extinct during or shortly after the flood, which intensified and shortened the fossilization process).  I am fully away that many scientists would consider that crazy and ignorant, but if it is true, I have no problem saying with Paul, "Let God be true and every man a liar!" (Romans 3:4).

I do beleive we need to maintain a spirit of generosity and discussion within the Body of Christ on these matters.  As long as we hold to the clear facts of Genesis 1 (that God created the world by His Sovereign Power, that He made man specially and in His image, etc.) that we can allow some flexibility on the things that are not explicitly stated.  As teacher Allistair Begg is fond of saying about Scripture, "The plain things are the main things!"  Let us hold unswervingly to the truth, and loosely to theories.  God bless!

For All Who Would Use Their Minds And Hearts

Every once in a while, within nature, I will come across something so breathtakingly simple and beautiful that I can only interpret it as a gift of grace from God the Father.  A brilliant red maple laying on the ground, burning like a flame among the other faded and fallen leaves.  A small ripple in a rocky stream, catching and flinging the sunlight every which way.  A solitary mockingbird joyfully singing in anticipation of the dawn in the darkness outside my window.  All of these things are little love notes from God the Father who, since the creation of the world, has generously splashed evidence of His "invisible qualities-- His eternal power and divine nature" across the world He has made (Romans 1:20). 

I can't, in good conscience, call myself a conservationalist of any sort, but I do long for other people to see and experience the majesty, power, and loving care of the Creator evident in creation.  I want the love notes to remain uncluttered with crushed beer cans and candy bar wrappers.  I want there to be someplace, somewhere, where I can still hear the "rivers clap their hands and the mountains sing together for joy to the Lord" (Psalm 98:8) without the clatter of car engines.

I think Horace M. Albright, the first director of the National Park Service, would agree-- here's a snippet of his eloquent farewell letter that resonates with me: 

"Oppose with all your strength and power all proposals to penetrate your wilderness regions with motorways and other symbols of modern mechanization.  Keep large sections of primitive country free from the influence of destructive civilization.  Keep these bits of primitive America for those who seek peace and rest in the silent places; keep them for the hardy climbers of the crags and peaks; keep them for the horseman and the pack train; keep them for the scientist and the student of nature; keep them for all who would use their minds and hearts to know what God has created.  Remember, once opened, they can never be wholly restored to primeval charm and grandeur."

Recommended and Free

From time to time, when I find something that encourages or challenges me, I'll try to make it a point to pass it on in this blog, with the hope that it encourages or challenges you, as well.  Today's recommendation comes with the added bonus of being absolutely free.
I downloaded Josh Garrel's album, Love & War & the Sea In Between several months ago, and few days have gone by that I have not listened to some snippet of it.  It is both musically and lyrically deep.
Garrells finds some fresh analogies for the Christian life, ranging from the haunting image of a white owl floating through a dark wood guided by instinct, or the shipwrecked sailor Ulysses bravely manning his faltering vessel through storms and reefs on his way home to his true love.  The song "Resistance" recognizes the difficulty and the importance of standing for Christ in a world that denies Him, while "Revelator" worshipfully recounts the powerful picture of Christ in the book of Revelation.  Garrels slips comfortably in and out of folk, rock, and hip-hop stylings, forging songs that are beautiful within each genre.  My guess is that you'll be encouraged by the album and enjoy it thoroughly-- but even if you don't, you're not out any money!
You can download it for free here:
www.noisetrade.com/joshgarrels

Long John Silver's: A Cautionary Tale

I’ve noticed a trend in my life.  Every six months or so, I happen to be driving by a Long John Silver’s fast food restaurant, and I think to myself, “Hey, fried fish sounds good.”  Immediately, an epic battle begins in my mind.  The rational part of my brain kicks in and says, “Josh, eating fried fish from a fast food restaurant never ends well--it never tastes as good as you think it will, and within minutes of your last bite, you inevitably develop a nausea that will long outlast any pleasure you get from eating it.”  I know this is true, but the physical appetite part of me, counters with, “but think of the beauty of all that grease, think of how quickly and smoothly it slides down your gullet, think of the immediate satisfaction you will receive.”

So I get it.  I pull through the drive-through and order a combo meal:  one piece of fish, one piece of chicken some fries, two hush, puppies, and, of course, some fried batter crispies.  The fish and the chicken are somehow indistinguishable from each other in both taste and texture, the hush puppies and French fries are over-fried and taste stale.  I burn through several napkins wiping grease off my fingers between bites, and by the end, I can’t even touch the batter crispies for fear that I will vomit.  The nausea has set in and will stay with me for the rest of the night.

I think of Paul, in Romans chapter 7: “ I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep doing.”

Maybe someday, I’ll learn that the part of me that demands immediate gratification is a habitual liar.  The things it promises are never delivered, and the consequences of obeying it are always unpleasant.  Score one for the Bible.  It turns out again that the Word of God holds true when it speaks about these things.  Perhaps I won’t be so easily deceived next time.  Hey, look!—a Long John Silver’s restaurant!  That actually sounds pretty good . . .